Inbound tourism to Israel has soared to nearly 2.6 million tourists so far in 2019 — a rise of nearly 10 percent against the same period last year, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday.
Just under half of all arrivals came from the U.S. at 49 percent (580,000 tourists). They were followed by France (207,000), Russia (174,000), Germany (165,000) and the United Kingdom (132,000). The statistics reveal tourists have spent about $3.7 billion so far this year, and most have arrived by airplane.
The boom in numbers comes in direct defiance of efforts by the anti-Israel, Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement which seeks to isolate the Jewish state and endless reports of violence in other parts of the troubled Middle East.
Meanwhile Open Skies aviation reforms have made airfares cheaper in Israel, which helps deliver tourists from around the globe and encourages Israelis to travel abroad, Haaretz reported.
July alone brought more than 322,000 tourists to Israel, up 10 percent from mid-2018 and 19 percent from mid-2017.
Significant increases in incoming tourism compared to July 2018 were also registered by inbound travellers from China (78 percent increase), Portugal (54 percent), Brazil (36 percent), Italy (34 percent), Spain (33 percent) and Mexico (30 percent).
This is good to hear.
PREZ TRUMP LOVES ISRAEL
We live so supernaturally..
I was one of them. Time to remember for the rest of my life.
Am Yisroel Chai!!!!!